Dr.raja Beggary Ppt

Beggary: A Challenging National Problem

Dr (Capt) DVP Raja MA DSSA PhD DLittFounder & Director

Madurai Institute of Social Sciences Madurai Tamilnadu

• A beggar is one who asks for alms or charity or performs such actions which derive sympathy from others and who give something in return.

• You just can’t escape the beggars. They are everywhere. On the streets, at every traffic signal, at every temple, at all entertainment places, from towns to big metropolises - Indian beggars are omnipotent and unstoppable.

Beggary: A Challenging National Problem…

Dr (Capt) DVP Raja MA DSSA PhD DLitt

"Hinduism and Islam, the two principal religions [of India], encourage begging, since they enjoin their followers to support beggars. Both religions extol the contemplative life, especially that of the religious mendicant, which encourages the emergence of large numbers of both genuine and bogus religious mendicants.“

PT BAUER pointed out that, in India, there were no Sikh, Parsi or Jain beggars – because these communities discourage beggary (a blot on the entire community), encourage self-help, and practice collective charity effectively.

Among the Sikhs, for example, the Gurudwara hosts a daily langar where any poor person is free to eat to his heart’s content. But with it comes a positive motivational factor: the same poor man is encouraged to go out, struggle, earn a living, and one day host a langar of his own for the poor. There is also a negative motivational factor: if any Sikh is found begging, other Sikhs will come and beat him up! The question: Who is a true friend of the poor and who is an enemy begins to look more complex as we scratch the surface of Third World poverty and look at phenomena like widespreadbeggary with a more critical eye.

Beggary: A Challenging National Problem……


Causes of Beggary: There cannot be one particular cause of beggary. But it is due to multiple factors.

The main factors are economic, social, biological, religious and others.

Parental compulsion AshramaSystemCriminalization of beggary

Religious mendicancyAlms givingCharity in Temple/MosquesChurches

Sickness/ DiseaseDisability/ Infirmity/Old ageMentally Illness/Cripple

Family disorganization Family Break downBreak-up of joint family systemMigration Caste Custom

PovertyUnemployment & under employment Loss of Business

OthersReligiousBiologicalSocialEconomic

Causes

EDCBA


3.745761 >

5.989156 – 60

100.001,523Total

9.8515041 – 45

6.5710051 – 55

3.224916 – 20

8.5413046 – 50

11.6217736 – 40

12.2718731 – 35

9.6514726 – 30

3.224921 – 25

3.024611 – 15

9.321426 – 10

13.00198< 5

NumberAge

Age of Beggars

The most striking feature of the above table is children 5 years and under,constitute the largest single group and all the children, 15 years of age and under constitute 25.34% of the total beggar population. Another painful observation is that, 43.39% of the beggar population is in the age group of 26-45 years, the most productive period in one’s life

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For some beggary is an outcome of choice and not compulsion


However, considering the low-income level, immigrant status, age factor, disability, disease and lowest social status, one can conclude that choice could not be the reason behind beggary. It is a survival mechanism"


• The Beggar Problem – affects the Indian culture and heritage – therefore we must consider it as national problem and practically undertake various measures to solve this problem.

• The state may take special efforts to regulate and prevent beggary especially in popular temple cities like MaduraiRameswaram, Thiruvannamalai, Kasi, Budda Gaya, MathuraSomnath in the background of increasing tourist interest as well as security threats. A co-ordination committee is to be formed with NGOs, heads of the temples, and govt. representatives.

• Periodical amendment, strict implementation of beggary acts are necessary in order to tackle criminalization of beggary by powerful mafia groups

Suggestions


Suggestions

• Even though from the beginning, the PlanningCommission has been undertaking research projects andtaking measures to solve this problem. It is high time thatthe Planning Commission should plan effective programand direct all the state Govts. with the help of NGO to solve this problem in India.

• Both the State and Central Govts. Should restore theirsocial assistance and they must provide social security systems. Whatever help we do should aim at restricting the dependency attitude of the people. With aim to getvotes politicians should not extend assistance instead weshould help them to help themselves.

• Family planning schemes is to be implemented amongthe beggar population


Suggestions

• For able-bodied Beggars separate schemes to be introduced and proper training is to be given for their employment purpose.• State Government should take measures to prohibit beggars from migrating from one State to another State. • Since agriculture laborers from some part of the Country are forced to beg due to drought and cropfailure and the State should take up programs to prevent this.• Day Care Centre for aged beggars is to bemaintained• NGO’s should be enabled to involve in beggaryprevention and rehabilitation.


Questions for discussion

1. Ownership claims over target area, locations, and points by some beggars

2. Begging groups around worship places / temples3. Taking vows to visit temples with money collected through

begging4. The practice of free feeding (annadhan) in temples and

chowltries5. Perception of NGOs about begging6. Child beggars and street children 7. Criminalization of beggary 8. Is it humanly possible to eradicate beggary?. There are beggars

who cannot be hooked in a particular place – then our discussions on anti poverty program is just to by pass the problems of beggars

9. Institutional beggars 10. Methodological problems associated with research related to

beggary


Dr.raja Beggary Ppt

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